CLEVELAND, Tenn. — In his second straight dominate complete-game performance, Maryville College signee Titus Torbett led Walker Valley to another key District 5-4A victory.
After striking out 13 and no free passes in last week's 2-1 duel at Rhea County, the big senior lefty notched 15 Ks and walked just one in a four-hit 7-0 shutout of Cleveland Tuesday, at Bill Talley Stadium.
Torbett is now 4-1 on the season in eight appearances (six starts), boasting an 0.80 earned run average and an .857 WHIP.
He has allowed just four earned runs and nine free passes this season while recording 66 Ks in just 35 innings pitched.
The local rivals are to meet again Wednesday evening and again Thursday, weather permitting, at Mike Turner Field.
MUSTANGS 7, BLUE RAIDERS 0: After Torbett and Cleveland starter Owen Goglio held the teams scoreless in the first two frames, Walker Valley exploded for a six-run rally thanks to a pair of doubles and two singles to go with four free passes and a Raider error in the top of the third.
Satchel Cole started the rally with a solid single to center before Owen Sneed sent a hot shot through the Cleveland first baseman's mitt and down the right field line to put runners on the corners.
Cleveland State signee Jordan Smith dropped down a sacrifice bunt to plate Cole and move Sneed to second before Torbett helped his own cause with a RBI-double to right field.
However, back-to-back two-out walks to Micah Stone and Hayden Harrison jammed the sacks before Milligan signee Michael Pledge unloaded them with a two-bagger to right-center field.
A five-pitch walk to Cooper Cantrell and Cole getting hit with a 3-1 pitch set the stage for run-scoring single by Sneed, but Goglio, who had moved to right field after leaving the mound for a reliever, gunned down Cantrell at the plate as he was trying to score from second base, to end the rally.
After Torbett struck out the side in the bottom of the third, both teams got a pair of runners on in the forth frame, plus another in the fifth, but to no avail.
The Herd tacked on the game's final score in the top of the sixth off a Raider error. Smith laced a one-out double and Torbett collected his third hit before Brody Ownby reached on a miscue that allowed courtesy runner Brody Croomes to score.
Torbett sealed the shutout with five Ks in the final half dozen Cleveland outs.
While Torbett reached base all four time he batted with two singles, a two-bagger and a walk, Pledge went 3-for-4, including his bases-clearing double.
The four Raider hits came from River Briggs and Sam Coleman to lead off the bottom of the first, plus Collin Stuart and Tyler Gardner added singles as well.
GAME SUMMARY
District 5-4A
Tuesday, April 8
at Bill Talley Stadium
Walker Valley 006 001 0 — 7 10 2
Cleveland 000 000 0 — 0 4 2
WP: Titus Torbett 7 IP, 15 Ks, 1 BB, 4 hits, 0 ER. LP: Owen Goglio 2.2 IP, 4 Ks, 4 BB, 1 HBP, 4 hits, 1 ER. 2B: Michael Pledge, Jordan Smith, Torbett (WV). RBI: Pledge 3, Micah Stone, Owen Sneed, Smith, Torbett. RECORDS: Walker Valley 12-10, 3-1 District 5-4A; Cleveland 15-7, 2-2 District 5-4A.